


Fell (For You)

by Wheres_my_badger



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, But really little, Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Hongjoong is so soft for Seonghwa, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, Non-Sexual Age Play, Seonghwa is so soft, a lil bit of angst, and that needed to change, and then I wrote this, basically I got sad when I saw the video o Seonghwa falling, because there is no baby Seonghwa, but like, but then again who isn't, idk what else, it's just a bruise, so here, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-05-07 20:37:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19217092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wheres_my_badger/pseuds/Wheres_my_badger
Summary: Seonghwa slips on stage and hurts himself, but he doesn't want to show the others how upset he is. Except it gets too much and he ends up having to talk to them anyways.OR how Seonghwa told the others about his little headspace(This is not an age-play story, it is an age regression (mentally regressing to a younger age to de-stress among others) story. It is tagged as ageplay just so that people who don't know the difference between ageplay and age regression can find it)





	1. Autor Note

So, recently someone talked to me in the comment section about the difference between ageplay and age regression, and asked me to take the 'non-sexual ageplay' tag off my works. They explained why, and I understood their point of view, but that raised a problem, in my eyes, which was: many people _don't_ know the difference or that there is a difference. So just taking the tag off my works wouldn't do much: people wouldn't find my work if they looked for it, and they still wouldn't know the difference. So I suggested the following thing: leave the tag, so people can find it if they want to read about it, and put a disclaimer in the summary and 1st chapter explaining the difference. This way people can still read what they were looking for and at the same time learn the difference between the terms. So here it is, an explanation provided by the person who talked to me:

Age play refers to adults roleplaying as kids, sexual or non-sexual, which falls under dom/sub, a subsection of kink. It's used to explore sexual dynamics, and is a consensual act for adults (not minors!). Age play can be tagged as ddlb, ddlg, mdlb, mdlg (daddy/mommy dom little boy/girl) or just cgl (caregiver/little). While it may not be sexual, it is used to understand the dom/sub undertones and boundaries in a relationship, to reach a mutual understanding of what's okay and what isn't. So it is an act which requires consent from both parties and effective communication, is solely for adults, is not a form of stress relief, not a coping mechanism and not for those under age (aka minors).

Age regression (aka caregiver little regressor/*cglre*) is non sexual coping mechanism/stress relief from anxiety, ptsd, stress etc, by regressing or de-aging to a younger mentality, or 'headspace'. It can be involuntary or voluntary (usually voluntary unless the person has been through trauma and unintentionally regresses to cope). It is for minors (and adults who are not roleplaying), and one does not necessarily have to be in a relationship to have a caregiver/regressor bond. It is an activity which requires trust and gives comfort.

Anyways, now you know about this and can call it accordingly or come to your own conclusions about the topic. The first chapter in in chapter 2, and I hope you like it ^.^


	2. Chapter 2

Seonghwa’s side was hurting like hell, but he ignored it. He couldn’t believe he had fallen on their first ever live performance of their new song. God, how could he be so _stupid_? He had practiced the choreography a million times, why had he fallen like that? He would get into so much trouble because of this, their manager would make him sit through hours of yelling, and then the CEO would probably scold all of them, and specially Hongjoong for not training them well enough, and… Seonghwa pressed his hands against his eyes and held his breath. If he let the tears fall and the sobs come out he would just make things worse.

Once he was sure he wouldn’t make a noise, he let out a shaky breath, making sure the exhale was slow enough to not make a sound. He repeated the process, breathing in and out slowly, doing his best to keep quiet. He had already ruined their performance. He shouldn’t annoy the others with his crying, too. Hongjoong, who was by his side, was immersed in his phone, and the others were either sleeping or listening to music. Seonghwa wanted them to at least have that little time before the scolding they would surely be put through.

Of course Seonghwa knew, deep down, that they wouldn’t mind his crying, and would probably comfort him and cuddle him until he felt better. But that was the problem. Seonghwa was so tired and upset that if he let the others coddle him now he wouldn’t be able to maintain his current headspace. And since he still hadn’t told the others about his age regression… well, he didn’t think him breaking down and acting like a toddler out of nowhere was the best way to tell them about it.

So he continued to breathe. In. And out. In. And out. He willed his mind to focus on the feeling of the air as it passed through his nose. In. And out. His ribs were hurting so much. In. Hitch. And out. Fuck. Seonghwa opened his eyes, once again holding his breath, because the urge to cry was back. Were they too far from their dorm?

 

The scolding they got was as bad as Seonghwa had predicted. Their manager was a nice guy, and he took good care of them and let them get away with a lot of shit. But he was also exhausted from their comeback, and Seonghwa knew he had gotten told off by the company as well, via phone on the ride to the dorms. So the man was – understandably – pissed, and he let it all out, and some of the things he said… well, they hurt to hear. Seonghwa didn’t blame him, he knew the man was stressed and had to worry about a thousand things, and now had to sit through a scolding because _Seonghwa_ had fucked up.

Still, none of that logical thinking helped when Seonghwa felt his anxiety creeping up, his ribs hurting and his little side banging on the metaphorical door of his mind. He tried to keep calm and deal with his shit on his own, he really did, but it wasn’t working. San and Wooyoung cuddling on the bed next to his and clearly comforting each other and cheering each other up wasn’t helping, either. Seonghwa wanted to get comforted by someone, too. Or at least by his pacifier, which was buried in his closet. But his pacifier was off-limits, because he wasn’t alone, and…

With a deep breath, Seonghwa closed his eyes. Then he opened them again and got up, quickly opening up a tab on his phone and searching for what he needed before getting up, picking up his box from his closet and heading out of the room, ignoring Wooyoung and San’s worried questions.

 

Hongjoong was looking at the ceiling trying to think about their schedule for the next day in an attempt to keep his thoughts from going back to their manager’s words. Thinking about that would make him cry – again – and he didn’t want that. And then the door opened and Hongjoong’s eyes widened as Seonghwa entered the room. They boy’s eyes were red, and he was carrying a box.

“Seonghwa?” He questioned. The boy was gripping the box so hard his knuckles were white. With a few more steps, Seonghwa was next to him, and next thing Hongjoong knows there’s a phone being shoved on his face. “What… Seonghwa, are you ok?”

The boy didn’t answer. Hongjoong looked at the phone. There was a tab open. With a last glance to Seonghwa, he took the phone and started reading what the boy had handed him.

At first Hongjoong was confused. He had never heard the term ‘age regression’ or any of the terms that accompanied it, like ‘little’, ‘headspace’ and ‘caregiver’. At least not as concepts. Then, as he read on, he slowly started to understand what the text was about, and soon he was engrossed, not even noticing that Seonghwa had set the box down and sat on the floor, legs pulled against his chest and face hiding in his knees.

And then he was done reading, and he had so many questions and so many doubts, and most of all he wanted to know why the hell Seonghwa had… a look to the side brought him back to reality and his heart ached as he noticed how small and scared Seonghwa looked, sitting on the floor like that.

“Hwa. Can you look at me?” He asked, softly. Seonghwa shook his head. Hongjoong moved to crouch in front of the boy, putting a hand on Seonghwa’s shoulder. “Please look at me.”  
He pleaded. He hated seeing any of the members upset. When Seonghwa looked up, his eyes and cheeks were wet, and it broke Hongjoong’s heart to see him like that.

“I-I’m sorry.”

The boy mumbled. Hongjoong squeezed his shoulder.

“Hwa, why did you show me this?”

He asked, trying to keep his voice as soft as possible. Seonghwa didn’t answer. Instead, he shoved the box he had been carrying closer to Hongjoong. The younger looked at it, then at Seonghwa, then carefully kneeled on the floor and opened the box.

The first thing he spotted was a sparkly lilac pacifier right next to a mint green one. He took those out, along with the Ryan plush toy that was underneath them. He took a look at the items, noticing the pacifiers were bigger than normal kids’ ones. He glanced at Seonghwa, but the boy was looking down. He placed the things on his bed, then took out dinosaur leggings and a dinosaur shirt, a set he figured was supposed to be a pyjama set. Footie pyjamas, at that, and also extremely soft. He put it along with the pacifiers and teddy bear, and then pulled out the last few items, which were a colouring book, a crayon set, a little sticker book and a bunch of stickers.

Once everything was out, Hongjoong looked up, only to come face to face with Seonghwa. The boy bit on his lip.

“Joong, please…”

Hongjoong’s heart melted.

“Oh, Hwa… come here.” The reaction was immediate. Seonghwa shuffled closer, throwing himself at Hongjoong and curling up against the younger boy, his hands fisted on Hongjoong’s shirt. “Hey, no, don’t cry. Joongie is here, I’m right here.”

Hongjoong was pretty sure the way Seonghwa was sobbing and clinging to him meant the boy had, as the text he had just read called it, ‘fallen into little space’. And honestly, Hongjoong wasn’t too sure how to handle this, he had just learned about the _existence_ of this whole thing, and he hadn’t even had time to process any of it. But sometimes life doesn’t give you time to process things, and then you have to just go with it and deal as well as you can. And if Seonghwa needed Hongjoong right now, then Hongjoong would do his best to help.

Carefully, he got up pulling Seonghwa with him to sit on the bed. He clumsily shoved the items he had taken from the box to the other side and settled with his back against the wall and Seonghwa next to him, holding on to him for dear life.

“Hwa, baby, can you tell me why you are crying?”

He pleaded, softly. The boy in his arms sobbed, rubbing his eyes with one of his fists, and the action was so child-like that Hongjoong felt that it would be easier than what he thought to understand and accept this thing Seonghwa was showing him.

“F-fell, an’ i’ h-hu’ts, an-an’ man’ge’ ‘yung sc’eam at Hwa.”

Said the boy, voice a bit higher than usual and words barely understandable through the sobs and child-like speech impediments. Hongjoong took a few moments to understand what he was trying to say.

“You fell and got hurt? Is that it, baby?”

Seonghwa nodded.

“An-an man’ge’.”

He added, tears slowly dying down as Hongjoong ran a hand through his hair.

“And manager yelled at you, so you got upset. Manager was really mean, wasn’t he? He was just tired and worried about you, baby. He will apologize tomorrow.”

Assured Hongjoong, surprising himself at how easily the word ‘baby’ came to him. Seonghwa looked at him, sniffling.

“P’omis?”

He inquired. Hongjoong nodded.

“Yes, I promise. Now what did you say about getting hurt?” This made a new wave of tears well up in Seonghwa’s eyes. The boy’s lower lip jutted out and Hongjoong rushed to hug him tighter. “Baby, hey, no, it’s ok.”

Seonghwa whimpered, pulling back. Hongjoong looked at him confused, until he saw Seonghwa lifting his shirt. He had to repress the gasp and shocked expression that wanted to take his face, knowing that it would probably just make Seonghwa more upset.

“Hu’t.”

Said the boy in the saddest little voice Hongjoong had ever heard. The bruise in Seonghwa’s ribs was enormous, and it looked incredibly painful. Hongjoong almost felt sick looking at it. He was going to kill Seonghwa once the boy was back to ‘normal’. He had _asked_ him about it, and Seonghwa had told him he was _fine_. That did not look fine.

“Hwa… why didn’t you say anything?”

He asked, forgetting, for a second, that Seonghwa was in ‘headspace’. The boy covered the bruise again, eyes becoming wet and fearful.

“J-joon’ie ubset?”

He asked, instantly bringing Hongjoong back to reality. The younger shook his head.

“No, baby, Joongie isn’t upset. But you have to tell me when you get hurt. So I can help.”

Seonghwa looked down.

“Hwa wased bad.”

He said. Hongjoong was left speechless. If he had asked Seonghwa when he was ‘normal’ the boy would either deny he was hurt – as he had done – or say it was fine and he would get better. But in this state, Seonghwa clearly didn’t even think to lie. Which meant he was being completely honest about blaming himself and thinking he didn’t deserve to be taken care of. Hongjoong shook his head.

“You weren’t bad, baby. You made a mistake, we all made mistakes. Please don’t hide it when you are hurt ok? You have to promise.”

Seonghwa looked at him, still pouting, then sniffled and nodded.

“P’omis.”

He said. Hongjoong smiled and kissed the boy’s cheek, making Seonghwa giggle despite the tears.

Hongjoong smiled. Was this weird? Yes. Did he know what was going on? Not really. Did he know how to act? God, no. But one thing was undeniable: Seonghwa was adorable like this.

“Very good. Now what do you say we put some cream on that bruise and then go to sleep? You can put on your dino pyjamas.”

Seonghwa smiled slightly at that, then glanced behind Hongjoong and bit on his lip.

“Tan Hwa ‘ave paci?”

He asked. Hongjoong’s brain loaded for a second, then he smiled, picking up the pacifiers. He showed them to Seonghwa. The boy looked for a bit, before choosing the lilac one. He then put it in his mouth, sighing contentedly and letting himself relax against Hongjoong. The younger bit on his lip, trying not to squeal, because that was definitely an adorable sight.

“You are adorable, Hwa. Now let’s get you changed and into bed, ok?”

Seonghwa hummed, eyes already closed. Hongjoong laughed and helped him lie down before carefully undressing him with little help from the boy. Then he opened his drawer and took out the cream he had for bruises and small injuries – they were common among the group. He bit on his lip. Seonghwa’s eyes were closed and he was peacefully sucking on his pacifier. This would startle him and probably hurt, and Hongjoong didn’t want that. Then again, if he didn’t apply the cream things would be worse on the next morning.

“Hwa, Joongie will put cream on your bruise. It might hurt a bit, ok?” Seonghwa opened his eyes slightly, whining. Hongjoong caressed his hair. “Relax.”

As Hongjoong started applying the cream, Seonghwa stayed quiet for about two seconds, before whimpering and moving away.

“’yun’, hu’t, ‘eally hu’t.”

Whined the boy, making Hongjoong’s heart break once again.

“I know, baby, but it’s for the best. Come on, just a little more.”

Seonghwa’s gaze was the saddest thing Hongjoong had ever seen in his life. Trying to erase the look from his mind, he continued applying the cream to Seonghwa's soft skin.

Once that was done he pulled on Seonghwa’s dinosaur pyjamas, cooing quietly at the sight and moving Seonghwa so the boy was under the covers.

“Ayan?”

Asked Seonghwa, barely awake. Hongjoong looked around and spotted the plush toy by the bed, where it had fallen when they moved around. He gave the toy to Seonghwa, once again repressing his urge to squeeze the boy to death when he hugged the plushie tightly. And then, after a moment of consideration, Hongjoong slipped next to Seonghwa, smiling as the boy cuddled up to him.

“Nai’ nai’, Joon’ie.”

Hongjoong kissed his forehead softly.

“Goodnight, Hwa.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been stanning Ateez since forever, but this is my 1st work for them. Did you guys like it????


	3. Chapter 3

The first thing Seonghwa did after waking up was try to go back to sleep. His footie pyjamas were as soft as always, and his pacifier certainly felt nice in his mouth, just like Ryan in his arms made him giddy, but all of those nice feelings were shadowed by doubt, and Seonghwa didn’t want to wake up, because that would mean thinking about that doubt. Seonghwa’s decision to tell Hongjoong about his age regression had been conscious. He had meant to go to the boy and show him that article, and the motivation behind that _was_ to ask Hongjoong to please look after him on the previous night. But now he was doubting those decisions.

They were made on impulse, was the thing. He had been emotionally unstable, he needed comfort so badly. And he had gotten it, and he could admit it had been nice. Very nice, actually. They might not have done much, but Hongjoong hugging him, reassuring him and making sure Seonghwa knew that he could always go to the other when something happened was more than enough. And he had even cuddled Seonghwa to sleep. But that didn’t change the fact that Seonghwa was _embarrassed_.

Hongjoong had taken it well. That much was clear. But that didn’t make things less embarrassing. He had still seen Seonghwa in footie pyjamas with a pacifier in his mouth, and he had seen Seonghwa’s colouring books, crayons and sticker book. He knew about this part of Seonghwa that Seonghwa himself was a bit scared of. And he might have taken care of Seonghwa the night before, because he would never leave any of his friends alone in times of need. But that didn’t mean he actually felt comfortable doing that. Which actually just added another worry to Seonghwa’s growing list: he had practically forced Hongjoong to take care of him. What if it made things awkward?

“Hwa, you’re thinking so loudly you woke me up.”

Came Hongjoong’s soft voice, deeper than usual from having just woke up. Seonghwa pulled back from the boy’s chest, noticing that he had been gripping Hongjoong’s shirt harder and harder as his thoughts spiralled out of control. He let go of the boy’s shirt, blushing. The nickname, so cute and soft, didn’t help to make him less embarrassed.

“So’y. I… “ noticing he still had his pacifier in his mouth, Seonghwa quickly took It out. “Sorry.”

Hongjoong looked at him in the eyes, but Seonghwa could only take it for a second before looking down and sitting up. Hongjoong sighed and sat up as well. Then he put a hand on Seonghwa’s knee. Careful, warm, comforting.

“Ok, first of all. Lie about being hurt again and I will kill you. No hesitation. Got it?” Seonghwa quickly nodded, not wanting to die just yet. Hongjoong’s eyes immediately softened. “Good. Now can you tell me more about yesterday?”

Seonghwa knew that was coming, but that didn’t make it any easier.

“Well, you… read about it. And you saw it. There’s not much more to say.”

He said, shrugging. Hongjoong’s hand squeezed his knee.

“I know it’s called age regression. I know you probably do it to relieve stress. But there’s probably so much more to it.” Said the boy. When Seonghwa didn’t answer, he sighed. “Why did you come to me yesterday?”

He asked, instead. Seonghwa sighed, looking down at his hands.

“I was… upset. Really upset. My side was hurting so much, and manager’s words kept ringing in my head, and Wooyoung and San were cuddling and being cute, and I… I couldn’t handle it. I’ve been regressing for years to de-stress. And I was planning on telling you guys, so I could do it without the fear of being found out. It just… came sooner than I was prepared to.”

He confessed. Hongjoong, by his side, hummed.

“So you… didn’t mean to tell me?”

Seonghwa shook his head.

“I did mean to tell you. Yesterday. I reached a point where I really needed someone, and you were the first person I thought of. I figured I might as well just tell you already.” He explained, then sighed. “I realise now that that was wrong of me to do. I’m sorry.”

He said. The noise that left Hongjoong made Seonghwa look up, startled. The boy was looking at him like a kicked puppy.

“What do you mean ‘wrong’, Hwa?”

There it was, the damn nickname. Seonghwa did his best to hide how much it affected him.

“I just sprung this on you with no warning. I had no right to do that. I basically took advantage of the fact that you wouldn’t refuse to help me in such a state.”

He explained again. This time Hongjoong huffed.

“Hwa, you can’t imagine how glad I am that you came to me. You didn’t take advantage of anything. It wasn’t a calculated move to get me to accept you. From what you’re saying, you were feeling so shitty and upset that you literally _couldn’t_ deal with things on your own and needed help. Needed comfort. And I’m so happy that you trust me enough to come to me in such a vulnerable moment. Because that’s what family is for. Taking care of you when you’re at your most vulnerable. And we are family, Hwa.”

Seonghwa groaned, rubbing his eyes with his sleeve.

“I hate you.”

He mumbled. He couldn’t believe Hongjoong had made him cry, it wasn’t even eight in the morning. The younger boy laughed.

“Crybaby.” He said, moving his hand to pinch Seonghwa’s cheek. “I still mean all that. And you have no idea how glad I am that you actually chose to tell me. I was really worried this had been an accident.”

Seonghwa managed to smile a bit, shaking his head.

“It wasn’t.”

He assured the boy. Hongjoong smiled and stretched, sighing before getting up.

“Well. Now you can either change and come for breakfast or not change and tell the others about this. It’s your choice, Hwa. We can talk more about the whole, uhn, caregiver thing later.”

Seonghwa took notice of Hongjoong’s slightly pink cheeks as the boy said that, but didn’t mention it, just smiling to himself instead.

 

Seonghwa felt extremely self-conscious as he sat in the living room with his Ryan plushie in his lap and his pacifiers by his side. He had chosen to take off the dinosaur pyjamas – ‘you look so cute, though!’ ‘shut up, Joong’ –, but he still wanted to tell the others about his age regression. He had wanted to for a while, so why not right now?

As the boys slowly gathered, however, and their eyes fell on Seonghwa and his plushie, the oldest of the group felt more and more embarrassed. What was he thinking, telling them about this? He was the oldest, he was supposed to take care of them, not be taken care of! Plus, he wasn’t small and cute like Yeosang, Wooyoung and Hongjoong, or the ‘baby’, like Jongho, so did he really deserve to call himself a ‘little’? And what if the others laughed? They probably would, just from imagining Seonghwa – on-stage sexy, rough Seonghwa – acting all cute and small. What if…?

“Hyung?”

Seonghwa blinked, only then noticing everyone had gathered already. He gulped, but it did nothing to move the lump in his throat.

“I, uhn, this…”

He tried, fingers digging on his poor Ryan’s fur.

“Hyung, is that a paci?”

Asked Yeosang, softly. Seonghwa looked at the two pacifiers by his side, then nodded. Jongho spoke next.

“Are… are they yours, hyung?”

Seonghwa took a deep breath and nodded again. And then Wooyoung shocked him into looking up.

“Hyung, you are a little?”

Seonghwa blinked a few times, trying to decide if this was actually reality, because in what world would anyone know what a ‘little’ was without being in the community? Or maybe Wooyoung…?

“You… know what a little is?”

He asked, still trying to wrap his mind around the thought. Wooyoung playfully rolled his eyes, because no situation was too serious for Wooyoung’s sassiness.

“Of course. Someone who mentally regresses to a younger age than their physical one, due to trauma or just to relieve stress.” Said the boy, as if he had heard it a thousand times. Then he seemed to notice everyone’s confused faces and shrugged. “I have a friend who’s a little.”

A friend. Who was a little. Seonghwa’s mind was slowly turning into a big knot.

“A friend.”

He said. Wooyoung nodded.

“Three, actually.”

Seonghwa couldn’t quite comprehend that, but his heart apparently had, because it was beating fast, his body warming up pleasantly at the thought that there were actually others like him out there.

“You, how… do you…? Have you ever seen them in headspace?”

He asked, although that was not quite what he was _trying_ to ask. Wooyoung nodded, as if that was something to be proud of.

“A few times. They’re adorable.” Then, after seeming to think for a second, he spoke again. “You guys know them, actually. They’re from Stray kids.”

Seonghwa’s eyes widened, because that was even better than Wooyoung having friends who were little. Wooyoung had friends who were littles and were idols!

A tiny little giggle sounded next to Seonghwa. The boy moved to look at Hongjoong, the author of the sound. Hongjoong smiled sheepishly.

“Sorry, Hwa. You just look so happy and in awe, like a kid on Christmas morning. It’s cute.”

Seonghwa blushed at that, pouting.

“Stop, I’m not cute.”

Hongjoong snorted.

“Oh, but you are.”

Seonghwa crossed his arms.

“Am not.”

Jongho spoke up.

“Yes, you are, hyung. But can someone explain to me what’s going on, please?”

This brought Seonghwa back to reality, and he noticed how confused the other five boys looked. He bit on his lips, looking at Hongjoong, then at Wooyoung, eyes pleading. Wooyoung smiled.

“Age regression. As I said, it’s when someone takes some time from their day, week, month or year, whichever they feel like, to let themselves act like a kid, though act is not quite the right word. In technical terms it’s when a person regress mentally to a younger age. There are people who regress to bellow one year old, to toddlers, little kids, teens, everything.” He looked at Seonghwa. “I can tell you what my friend told me, too. Would that help, Seonghwa hyung?

Seonghwa nodded. Hearing about someone else’s experience would help the others get used to the idea and would definitely help Seonghwa understand himself a bit better.

“It would.”

He said. Wooyoung turned back to the others.

“What my friend told me is that sometimes he just feels like things that should be normal for him to do become harder. Like getting dressed. It’s not like he can’t get dressed on his own, he just doesn’t want to, he wants help. The other regressor in the group… he has a younger regressing age. He told me sometimes talking becomes really difficult, and that means he’s slipping into headspace, feeling little. And what they told me is that they can control it. If they were at a meeting with the CEO they would force themselves to talk or act as they usually do. But it’s hard and frustrating for them to do that when they feel little, so they have schedules to avoid them from slipping unconsciously. Or at least to lessen the risk of it happening.”

Seonghwa was trying his best to not bounce up and down in excitement, because _yes_ that was it! That was exactly what he felt! The difficulty of acting like a ‘grown-up’ at times, the urge to just act like a little kid. He thought that only happened to him, thought he was just unable to control his headspace. Knowing that that was not the case was definitely a relief.

“Seonghwa hyung?” The boy blinked, noticing he had zoned out. “Is it like that for you?”

Asked Wooyoung. The others were looking at him expectantly, and Seonghwa felt his heart warming up at the fact that none of them seemed weirded out.

“I… yes. I-I don’t… feel as young as that second person, but I, yeah, the feeling is that.”

Wooyoung smiled, seeming proud of his knowledge. Yunho spoke up next.

“But hyung, does it just… happen randomly? Like, you’re doing your own things and then suddenly you feel like that?”

Asked the boy. Seonghwa shook his head.

“There are things that trigger me and make me go into headspace. Like… if I’m overly stressed, and… yeah. You know.”

He said. San snorted.

“Actually, no, we don’t know. Come on, tell us!”

Pleaded the boy, way more invested in this than Seonghwa had expected any of the boys to be. He felt his cheeks heating up.

“Just, I don’t know. Stuff?” No one replied. Seonghwa sighed. “Things like cute notebooks and some video games, and baths and stickers too. Sometimes things other people do.”

He explained. This seemed to get Mingi’s attention.

“Hyung, have we ever made you feel little?”

He asked, seeming excited about the idea. Seonghwa’s cheeks immediately flamed up again and he played with his shirt, avoiding looking at the others.

“Oh, so we have!” Said San, and he sounded genuinely happy about that. “Hyung, tell us, please.”

Seonghwa groaned, hiding his face in his hands.

“No, it’s embarrassing.”

He whined, pouting as he looked at the others. Yunho immediately pouted back.

“But hyung, we have to know so we won’t make you feel little when you don’t want us to.”

He reasoned. Seonghwa made a face at him. San spoke up, nodding solemnly.

“He’s right, hyung. We need to know.”

Seonghwa huffed, rubbing his face.

“Sometimes you make me feel little when you say I’m cute or when you pinch my cheeks.”

He said, deciding there was no way out of telling them, now. The reaction was a bunch of squeals and an attempt – from Hongjoong – to pinch his cheeks.

“That’s so soft, hyung. I always thought you hated being called cute.”

Said Jongho. Seonghwa shrugged, cheeks heating up yet again.

“It’s not always, just sometimes.”

He said, in an attempt to feel a bit less embarrassed about it. Truth was, whenever the others called him any type of cute nickname he got all warm and tingly inside, and that made his little side spark up immediately. But they didn’t need to know that.

Hongjoong cleared this throat.

“Ok, guys, this is cute and all, but let’s focus here.” Seonghwa smiled at the boy thankfully. “Something that Woo didn’t mention is that littles sometimes have caregivers. They don’t have to have one, obviously, but some want to.”

Seonghwa had already forgotten that that was part of the conversation he wanted to have with the members. He had talked to Hongjoong after they were both properly awake and fed, and had told him a few things that weren’t in the article he had handed the leader on the previous night. He had told him everything about caregivers, and had admitted that he had always wanted one, but had never had the opportunity to look for someone. And then, and the thought still made Seonghwa a bit giddy, Hongjoong had actually offered to be Seonghwa’s caregiver. He had asked for some time to think and read more about it, but he had told Seonghwa he was almost sure that he would love to be a caregiver. And then the topic of telling the others had come up, and Seonghwa had once again admitted, with pinkish cheeks, that he had thought about having the members as his caregivers more than once before.

And now here they were.

“What is a caregiver, hyung?”

Asked Yeosang.

“A caregiver is someone who takes care of a little, basically. From changing them and feeding them to setting down rules for video game time and making food for them, depending on the little’s age.”

The others seemed to understand. Jongho looked at Seonghwa.

“Hyung, do you have a caregiver?”

He asked. Seonghwa blushed.

“I… no. That’s… that’s actually what I wanted to talk about.” All of the boys were focused on him, now, and Seonghwa felt his breath picking up. Then there was a hand on his. Seonghwa looked down and then to his side, relaxing a bit as he noticed it was Hongjoong’s hand on his. The boy sent him an encouraging smile. “I know you guys just found out about this. And, and I guess it can be a bit confusing. But I… I’ve always wanted a caregiver. And I, Hongjoong hyung asked me if I had ever thought about any of you like that, if I wanted anyone in the group to be my caregiver, and I… you don’t have to, obviously, and I, I’m not saying this to… I just wanted you to know that I would like you guys to be part of this with me, and that I would like you guys to be my caregivers. And if you don’t want to and just want to be around without having to take care of me that’s fine, and if you don’t want to have anything at all to do with this that’s fine too, and…”

Hongjoong squeezed his hand, interrupting him. Seonghwa noticed he had been rambling, shaking from nervousness.

“Hwa, calm down, ok?” Said the leader, before turning to the others. “What Hwa is trying to say is that you guys can look into this if you want, and that he would like you to take care of him or just be around him when he’s little. But that’s only if you guys want to. There’ll be no hard feelings if you don’t want to see him in headspace. And there’s no rush to decide if you want to or not.”

Seonghwa nodded, thankful that Hongjoong had managed to make sense of his nervous ramble. Wooyoung was the first one to speak up.

“I’m… not good with caregiving. I’ve tried with B… my friends from Stray Kids, and it just doesn’t work. But I love playing with them and I can definitely watch them for short periods of time, and I would love to see you and interact with you in headspace, hyung.”

Seonghwa smiled. That was a good start. Wooyoung had never given him any type of caregiver vibes, anyways. Now he knew why. San was next.

“I’m not going to say anything for sure, hyung, because I’m sure there’s a lot I need to learn about before knowing if I can do this. But I would love to be with you in headspace, too, and then after spending a few times with little you maybe I’ll have an answer about wanting to be your caregiver?”

Seonghwa nodded, still smiling. The word ‘your’ before caregiver sounded extremely sweet.

“Ok.”

He said, too drained to say more than that. He hoped his thankfulness shone through. 

The others started the same as San, as Seonghwa expected they would. They had just learned about this whole thing, of course they didn’t know whether or not they related to the title of caregiver. Jongho seemed excited about it, saying he definitely wanted to be around whenever Seonghwa was in headspace and that he would probably love to be a caregiver – once he knew what, exactly, that meant. Yeosang seemed interested too, but more so on the idea of age regression than anything else. Mingi and Yunho were as sweet as everyone, but both of them said they probably wouldn’t take to actually being caregivers. Seonghwa didn’t mind. He didn’t _need_ a caregiver, although he would love to have one, and he already had three candidates, so he counted it as a win.

As the last of the boys finished speaking, Seonghwa smiled down at his knees.

“Thank you, guys. Really.”

Hongjoong squeezed his hand again, and someone shuffled next to him, giving him a hug. Seonghwa noticed it was Yunho.

“We love you lots, hyung. We want you to be happy, and if this age regression thing is what you need to be happy then that’s completely fine.”

Seonghwa hugged the boy back, nodding to show he appreciated.

“Plus, it sounds really cute.” Said Wooyoung. “I would never have expected you to be the little in our group, though, hyung. Always thought it would be Yeosangie.”

A whine, and then Yeosang was sticking his tongue out at Wooyoung, and Seonghwa let out a little laugh, because Yeosang literally just proved Wooyoung’s point. Then he rubbed his neck, feeling a bit self-conscious again. He knew it was weird that he was the regressor in the group, considering he was the oldest and far from being considered cute, much less the cutest.

“I, yeah.”

He said, trying not to sound too upset. The boys seemed to notice the shift in Seonghwa’s mood, though, because Hongjoong huffed.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Wooyoung, Seonghwa is literally adorable.”

This made Seonghwa blush and push Hongjoong slightly.

“Stop.”

He whined. Hongjoong did, but Jongho didn’t.

“Joong hyung is right. Have you _heard_ Seonghwa hyung asking for directions or prices? It’s the cutest thing ever.”

Seonghwa glared, but looked down immediately after, because he could feel a smile threatening to take his face. San chuckled.

“Yah, stop, you’re making hyung blush.”

Said the boy, teasingly. Seonghwa looked at him with a glare.

“I’m not blushing!”

His obvious lie made everyone laugh, and Seonghwa just huffed and resigned himself to the fact that there was no escaping the teasing of his members.

“Ok, I guess you’re right. Seonghwa hyung is adorable.” Seonghwa rolled his eyes. “But what I really want to know is,” he turned to Seonghwa, “hyung, what’s your little age?”

Seonghwa tilted his head. He had never actually stopped to think about that. What _was_ his little age?

“I… don’t know.”

He said, truthfully. Wooyoung gasped dramatically, making everyone snort.

“How can you not know, hyung?”

Seonghwa shrugged.

“I just don’t know.”

Wooyoung shook his head, face showing incredulity.

“Can we help you find out, hyung?”

Asked Yunho, a big smile on his face. Seonghwa looked at Hongjoong asking for guidance, but the boy just shrugged. He sighed.

“I… guess?”

Wooyoung clapped.

“Great. Tell us what you like in headspace, hyung.”

Seonghwa blushed.

“Uhn, actually, you know what…”

He was showered with complaints before he could even finish.

“Hyung, we swear we won’t tease.”

Said Yeosang, pouting, and really, who could resist that angel face? Seonghwa sighed.

“What did I get myself into…” He looked at the others. “I like stickers, plush toys, cute notebooks, cute video games and blowing bubbles.”

He said, hoping that listing the items quickly would dim his embarrassment. It didn’t, and neither did the smiles on the others’ faces.

“That’s adorable.”

Mumbled San. Seonghwa pretended not to hear.

“Ok. You’re definitely older than Su… than two of the littles I know. What about being fed, staying alone, showering…?”

Seonghwa thought for a bit. Those things involved caregivers, so Seonghwa had to try and imagine what he would want.

“Hum, I don’t mind eating on my own, but I wouldn’t… mind being fed. Same with showering, but I… I think I would like to have someone in the bathroom with me? While showering? Other then that I don’t mind being alone.” He thought for a second, then forced himself to add. “But I like cuddles.”

A wave of cooing, and Seonghwa was ready to die.

“Cute. You seem to have an older headspace. Like… seven?”

Seonghwa frowned. That didn’t sound quite right.

“I…”

Mingi interrupted him.

“But hyung has pacifiers.”

He said, and Seonghwa remembered, for the first time, that he had his pacifiers with him at the moment.

“I… yeah.”

He said. Wooyoung frowned.

“I don’t know. Basing on what I know from the littles I’ve interacted with, that means a younger headspace, three or four. But you don’t…”

Hongjoong spoke up.

“Maybe Hwa just has a fluid age?” Seonghwa and Wooyoung turned to the leader. Hongjoong shrugged. “He has an older headspace, around five or six, but for some things he’s a bit younger. Would that make sense?”

Seonghwa didn’t have to think much before nodding. That did make a lot of sense. Seonghwa had no qualms with being left alone and playing on his own, but he felt he would love getting cuddles and kisses and lots of attention at times. He didn’t mind showering on his own, but the idea of having a caregiver around made him feel safer. And he often felt as what he could only describe as a ‘big boy’, but he loved having his pacifier to sleep.

“I think that sounds right.”

He said. Hongjoong smiled, and Seonghwa couldn’t help but to smile back.

“One last question.” Said Yunho. “When are we going to see you in headspace, hyung?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by peachsunnyboy: “Ok, first of all. Lie about being hurt again and I will kill you. No hesitation. Got it?” 
> 
> Did you guys like it????


	4. Chapter 4

Hongjoong tried to calm down as he headed to Seonghwa’s room. He had spent the whole previous day reading all he could about being a caregiver, or at least everything he still hadn’t read since finding out that Seonghwa was a little. He had also asked Seonghwa a thousand questions in the last week, which was the time they had given themselves to learn more about age regression and littles. And honestly: rationally, Hongjoong knew that he would be fine. Maybe he would make a few mistakes, but he was well informed and Seonghwa had already told him that if he did do something wrong they would talk it out later, no problem. But Hongjoong was still nervous.

Maybe it was because this was _Seonghwa_. The only one his age in the group, and thus the only one Hongjoong could call a friend. Of course he loved all of the boys, they were his family. But Seonghwa was… just different. Seonghwa was such a good person, and Hongjoong wanted nothing but the best for him. Plus, he knew how much Seonghwa struggled with suddenly being the oldest after spending his whole life as the youngest in his family. So maybe that was why he was so scared of fucking this up. What if he was a bad caregiver? Then Seonghwa would be disappointed and would ask Hongjoong to just forget about all this. And then Hongjoong would be left out of this part of Seonghwa’s life, which honestly seemed like a pretty important part. Just the idea of that was enough to make Hongjoong shiver.

Hongjoong was brought back from the depths of his mind when he walked into the door of Seonghwa’s room. He groaned, shaking his head to wake himself up properly. He had to stop those thoughts. They had arranged this already, everything was ready. Now it was just a matter of Hongjoong actually going up to Seonghwa to help the boy regress. He could do this. It was going to be fine. No need to panic.

 

Hongjoong found out he shouldn’t have worried so much, because as soon as he opened the bedroom’s door and spotted Seonghwa lying on his bed, peacefully asleep, he felt completely calm. It was like his brain immediately switched to another mind-set, and all he could feel was the need to take care of Seonghwa and make sure he was well.

Without making much noise, he headed to the bed. Seonghwa had told him – a blush always present in his cheeks – that waking him up with kisses and talking to him softly were the best bet to help him slip into headspace with no difficulty.

“You are the one who triggers my headspace the most, hyung, so it won’t be hard for you.”

Had been the boy’s argument as to why Hongjoong should be the one doing this. Hongjoong refused to admit that he was proud of that.

As he got closer, he took in Seonghwa’s form. The boy was curled up with his sheets held against his face, right cheek squished against his hand, and his expression was serene. He looked so calm and peaceful that Hongjoong was almost sad about waking him up. But he had to, they had agreed on a time for the boy to wake up, and Hongjoong wasn’t about to break rules on his first attempt at being a caregiver.

“Seonghwa.” He called, sitting on the bed and softly running a hand through the boy’s hair. “Wake up, pumpkin.”

The nickname felt a bit weird on Hongjoong’s tongue, but Seonghwa had said it was one of the nicknames he felt he would love to hear when in headspace, so Hongjoong made an effort. If he was being honest, it was one of his favourites from the list.

Seonghwa didn’t move, but his breathing changed, and he hummed.

“Joongie?”

He asked, voice rough from sleep, but still very cute. Hongjoong smiled at how soft his name sounded coming from Seonghwa like that.

“Hey, bubby. It’s time to wake up.”

This made Seonghwa open his eyes. He sleepily blinked, then looked at Hongjoong, and then he smiled. Hongjoong wasn’t expecting that reaction, and he couldn’t control the smile that immediately took his face.

“Morning, hyungie.”

Hongjoong practically melted. He had expected a lot of blushing and awkwardness, but apparently Seonghwa was right about being sleepy and having Hongjoong there helping him slip easily.

“Morning, bubby. Did you sleep well?” Seonghwa hummed, moving to lie on his back. Hongjoong couldn’t resist tickling the boy’s tummy, making Seonghwa squeal and giggle. “Come on, we need to have breakfast so we have energy to play later.”

Seonghwa nodded and sat up, still smiling widely. Hongjoong was used to Seonghwa’s cute smiles, but the boy didn’t smile that often. He was more serious and shier than all of them. To see Seonghwa smiling so freely made Hongjoong’s heart ache with fondness.

He got up from the bed, offering a hand, and Seonghwa happily took it, getting up as well. Then he pouted, looking around.

“Hyungie, can I have my paci?”

Hongjoong held back a smile, searching his pocket for the boy’s lilac pacifier and handing it to him. Seonghwa had given him his box of ‘little-space stuff’ on the previous night, so his things were with Hongjoong for easy access.

“Here you go.”

He said. Seonghwa beamed at him.

“Thank you.”

He said, before shyly putting his pacifier in his mouth, and Hongjoong melted.

“Come on, the others are making breakfast.”

 

Seonghwa was _shy_. It wasn’t like they didn’t already know that, Seonghwa had always been shy. But it had been so long since he opened up to them and got comfortable when they were alone only the eight of them, that it was weird to see the boy being so shy out of nowhere. Weird, but god, it was adorable.

Hongjoong had led the boy out of his room and into the kitchen, and they had been greeted with squeals. That had been enough to startle Seonghwa out of his sleepy haze, and the boy had tried to hide behind Hongjoong, which just made everyone laugh, because Hongjoong was tiny, and Seonghwa… well, wasn’t.

“Morning, Hwa.”

Greeted San, walking over to the pair by the door and smiling. Seonghwa shyly peeked at the boy.

“Mo‘ning, hyungie.”

He mumbled, making San smile. Hongjoong snorted at the whipped look on the younger’s face.

“Hum, someone’s a bit shy today.”

He said, and Seonghwa whined, hiding behind Hongjoong once again and making everyone chuckle.

“Come on, bub, let’s eat.” Prompted Hongjoong, grabbing Seonghwa’s hand and leading the boy to the table. He helped Seonghwa sit down and then snorted. “Sit down, you guys, you look creepy standing there staring. And you’re making Hwa shy.”

Seonghwa pouted and glared at Hongjoong, who only pinched his cheek. The others seemed to wake from their daze at that, and soon the kitchen was a mess of noise of people sitting down and trying to get food, and Hongjoong half expected it to scare Seonghwa, but the boy seemed to relax as the attention shifted from him, so the leader counted it as a win.

“I’m hung’y, hyungie.”

The little mumbled, pulling on Hongjoong’s shirt. The leader smiled.

“Just a second, baby, hyungie will get you food, ok?”

Seonghwa nodded, making Hongjoong smile. The younger reached for a bowl, putting a good amount of noodles in there before placing it in front of Seonghwa. Then he picked up a few pieces of dry seaweed and filled Seonghwa’s sippy cup with water, placing everything in front of the boy. Seonghwa smiled.

“Than’ you, hyungie!”

He said, giving Hongjoong a quick hug, which had everyone melting.

“You’re welcome, pumpkin. But I think you might need to let go of your pacifier to eat.”

The statement made Seonghwa go cross-eyed trying to look at his pacifier. The boy pouted.

“But don’t wanna…”

He whined. Hongjoong almost laughed at the cuteness.

“You have to, Hwa. How will you chew on your food and suck on your paci at the same time?”

Seonghwa’s pout deepened.

“B-but it’s sca’y with no paci.”

He whispered – loudly –, looking at the others warily. Hongjoong smiled, caressing the boy’s hair.

“They’re your friends, Hwa, they aren’t scary.” Seonghwa shook his head. Hongjoong hummed. “What do you say I get Ryan for you? Then it won’t be scary, right?”  
Seonghwa’s eyes lit up.

“Hyungie can do that?”

Hongjoong chuckled.

“Yes, pumpkin, hyung can do that. Stay here a moment.”

Thankfully, Seonghwa didn’t complain, and when Hongjoong got back with the plushie the boy was smiling at San, which was definitely a step forward.

 

After breakfast, they headed to the living room. Wooyoung smiled widely as he took the lead once they were settled.

“I’ve done this before, hyung, look.”

Hongjoong watched amusedly as Wooyoung sat down on the floor.

“Hwa, look at what I have here!”

Called the boy. Seonghwa, who had retrieved his pacifier as soon as Hongjoong was done brushing his teeth, looked over in curiosity. Wooyoung triumphantly held up a bag of stickers. Hongjoong gasped.

“That’s cheating! You got that without telling us!”

He complained. Unfortunately, it was impossible to be mad when Seonghwa’s eyes widened and he squealed excitedly, rushing to sit next to Wooyoung.

“Can I p’ease see them?”

He asked, eyes shining and hands held together in front of his face. Hongjoong was sure he wasn’t the only one melting. Wooyoung smiled.

“Of course, Hwa, they’re for you. Look, this one is animal themed.”

Hongjoong had never seen Seonghwa smiling that brightly over something so simple.

Wooyoung quickly lost his role as playmate, as Seonghwa soon became too interested in the stickers to care about anything else. Although the younger boy pouted and complained that his other friends who were little appreciated him more, Hongjoong couldn’t say he wasn’t entertained. Seonghwa was extremely focused on the task of putting his new stickers in his sticker book. There was probably an order in that thing, but Hongjoong couldn’t quite see it. Still, it looked pretty and tidy, and the way Seonghwa was sucking on his pacifier intently as he focused more and more was too adorable.

He did stop paying attention after a while, focusing on writing on his journal to make up for the few days he hadn’t managed to during the week, until a pull on his shirt brought him back to the present. Seonghwa was smiling at him shyly.

“Hyungie, can I sit with you?”

He asked, behind his pacifier. Hongjoong smiled widely, closing his journal and making space for the boy next to him on the couch.

“Come here, pumpkin.”

Seonghwa made a happy little noise and settled next to Hongjoong. Then he picked up his sticker book and put it in his lap, snuggling against Hongjoong’s side.

“Look, hyungie! Woo hyungie ga’e me new ‘ticke’s.”

He said, opening his book and showing it to Hongjoong. The page was completely filled, and Hongjoong finally could understand the pattern. Seonghwa had organized them by colour.

“Waa, this looks so cool Hwa! Did you separate the colours yourself?”

Seonghwa’s proud smile was so sweet it prompted Hongjoong to pull him closer. The boy didn’t seem bothered by it, instead giggling in response.

“I did! It makes a rainbow, hyungie, look!”

Hongjoong smiled, kissing Seonghwa’s temple.

“It does make a rainbow. That’s so pretty, pumpkin.”

Seonghwa’s shy smile was the absolute cutest. The boy snuggled closer.

“Hyungie can we cuddle?”

He asked, clearly trying to be quiet. Not that it worked, little Seonghwa clearly wasn’t that aware of his voice’s volume. Hongjoong smiled.

“Of course we can cuddle, bub. Do you want to watch some cartoons?”

Seonghwa nodded quickly, excited, and Hongjoong laughed, kissing the top of his head and picking up the controller.

 

They found out that Seonghwa was pretty independent and liked playing on his own, be it with his sticker book, plush Ryan, or whatever else, but didn’t really like doing things on his own. He asked Hongjoong to feed him and shyly requested that Hongjoong take him to the toilet when he needed to go, although he demanded that the leader stay outside and closed the door. He also never let go of his pacifier, which was adorable.

He was shy, that much was obvious from the beginning. But Hongjoong could see slivers of his actual little personality shining through at times, and he had the impression that once the boy got used to having the others as he caregivers he would be much louder and more playful than he was at the moment.

And then there was the fact that Seonghwa was extremely cuddly. He played well on his own, but from time to time he moved to snuggle against Hongjoong for a while, sometimes wanting cuddles, sometimes wanting to be tickled. It was almost as if he needed his dose of cuddling to recharge before playing, and Hongjoong found it adorable. The others clearly agreed with him, cooing every time Seonghwa curled up with Hongjoong on the sofa, but they were also pouty all day long.

“He only likes you, hyung.”

Complained Jongho at one point, and the others took the opportunity to whine as well. Hongjoong smiled apologetically.

“I’m sure he likes you guys, too. He’s just shy, and I’m the one he’s closer to.”

That didn’t seem to appease them much, but they hadn’t noticed a certain someone listening to their conversation. They only found out Seonghwa had been listening a while later, when each boy had a piece of paper shoved in their face, along with a quick little hug, and then saw Seonghwa rushing to sit on Hongjoong’s lap, face buried in the leader’s chest and ears red.

“What…?”

Started Yunho, before cooing.

“Oh god, this is so adorable.”

Groaned Jongho. Hongjoong looked at the boy hiding against his chest, then at the others.

“What is it?”

He asked. All six boys turned their papers to him, and Hongjoong was met with six different drawings, all of which had ‘from: Seonghwa to:’ and then the boys’ names in it. He bit on his lip to stop himself from squealing.

“Hwa, baby, did you make drawings for the hyungies?”

He asked, softly. Seonghwa whined.

“Love the hyungies.”

He mumbled. Hongjoong smiled, kissing the boy’s temple.

“He said he loves you guys. See? I told you he was just shy.”

From that moment on, none of the others pouted anymore.

 

“I’m sure I’ll warm up to you, eventually, San.”

Hongjoong snorted as he watched Seonghwa trying yet again to convince San to stop pouting. They had had a great time the day before with Seonghwa in headspace, but Hongjoong understood San’s grumpiness. Seonghwa had latched on to Hongjoong and had barely interacted with the others, after all.

“You didn’t even let me cuddle with you, hyung.”

Complained the younger. Seonghwa sighed.

“You know I’m shy, come on.”

San pouted, but uncrossed his arms.

“Next time we’re locking Joong hyung up.”

He said. Seonghwa chuckled and Hongjoong raised an eyebrow.

“Excuse me?”

He was promptly ignored.

“I don’t think little me will be too happy about it.”

Said Seonghwa, and Hongjoong was proud of that, but he was more focused on the slight blush on Seonghwa’s cheeks as the boy said that. San seemed to notice, too, because his pout turned into a smile.

“Well, I have to admit you were adorable clinging to Joong hyung…”

Seonghwa’s blush deepened.

“Shut up.”

He said, shoving San away. Wooyoung kicked the door open and let a box fall on the table.

“When are you regressing again, hyung? I bought you some things.”

Hongjoong burst out laughing. Seonghwa’s face was all red, but he was smiling.

“Thank you, guys.” He said, eyes shining. “Really, I couldn’t ask for better friends.”

Hongjoong knew how hard those words were for Seonghwa, who was usually averse to speaking about feelings. He smiled proudly.

“Group hug!”

Yelled Jongho. Hongjoong barely had time to process it before he was squished between his seven friends. He smiled and let himself hug them to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter!!! (There might be stuff involving lil Seonghwa and skz later on, who knows....)
> 
> It's been so long that I don't even know if this makes sense with what I wrote before.... but I hope you guys liked it!
> 
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated ^.^


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